o accompany us on our expedition, considering it
a public duty to put together the very interesting information which
had been communicated to him by the authorities charged with the
administration of affairs at the numerous ports at which we had
touched on the coast of Borneo. He wished to complete his work, so
that it might be read to Governor Treacher before being despatched to
England. [This paper appeared in the 'Nineteenth Century.']

[Illustration: Dutch Fort, Macassar]

CHAPTER IX.

_CELEBES._

_Friday, April 15th._--Although it was nearly two o'clock before I
went to bed, I was up before seven this morning ready to go ashore
with Tom and Mabelle to say good-bye to our friends, and to see how
Silam looked by daylight. It is a neat, picturesque little village
with most of its wooden houses standing upon piles. Landing was, as
usual, a difficult matter, for there was nobody to hold the boat, and
no one to help us. The people in Darvel Bay have evidently very
little curiosity, for they scarcely turned their heads to look at us,
though European ladies have rarely landed here before. Near the shore,
little shops, mostly kept by Chinamen, are established on either side
of the pier. Their exterior is not imposing, but inside a very fair
display of goods is to be found.

The bay looked quite animated this morning, a fleet of small boats
having arrived during the night, filled with Sulus, Eraans, and Bugis.
Each boat carried enormous outriggers projecting on either side, and
had an awning thatched with kajang mats; while dried fish, arms,
gongs, cooking-pots, bags, and odds and ends of all kinds hung from
the poles which supported the roofing. A great deal of barter was
going on on shore. At the first shop I went to I saw one of the
bird's-nest collectors whom we had noticed yesterday pitch down a
bundle of nests on the floor without saying a word. The Chinaman at
once fetched some weights, weighed the nests, and mentioned the price
in one word. Three words escaped the nest-hunter's lips, which
resulted in the production of sundry bright-coloured cotton Manchester
cloths, some evidently modern kreises (probably made at Birmingham),
besides bird-calls and pipes. In the next shop were two dapper little
Sulus in Spanish-looking costumes, with dozens of pairs of the
golden-edged pearl-shells, which we had searched for in vain the night
before last. The bargain was not yet concluded, so that it was useless
for